Autumn Leaves
by Amelia-Williams-Pond
Summary: Another for my title challenge, this one also from JustReadingHerePeople. Featuring the HP characters this time. 2- It's a big day at the Weasley abode- Ginny, their youngest, is getting married to Harry Potter! Follows Bill and Ginny as they talk over the wedding and follow a revered tradition between brother and sister.
1. Chapter 1

"Leaves," Hermione Grange muttered to herself, "Are quite possibly the worst enemy of a reader."

She brushed another of the brown autumn leaves off her book, at which point it was promptly replaced by another. She sighed.

"What was that, Granger?" someone asked from behind her.

"Something about leaves, I should think," someone else said. The Weasley twins came up and sat on either side of her.

"Hello," Hermione said in response, closing her book and setting it down.

"Leaves?" the twin on her right reminded her. She thought it might have been Fred.

"They're enemies to readers," Hermione summarized.

"Why?" the twin on her left asked. "Leaves in the autumn are beautiful!"

"Such an array of colors," his brother continued.

"Forever floating on the breeze."

"And they all seem to land on my books," Hermione interrupted. "And I can't cast a simple shield charm, because then I wouldn't get the breeze."

"Aah," the twin on her right said. "They're _annoying_ you."

"Yes."

"Well, We'll take care of that," the left twin said, nodding at his brother. The two of them stood and began to swat the leaves away by using various hexes.

"By all means, keep reading," one of them said.

"Yeah," the other agreed. "We'll keep the leaves at bay."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you," she said, amused, not knowing exactly how to react. She began reading again, and for a half an hour they kept at it with the leaves, until she finished her book.

"Again, thanks," Hermione said, standing. The twins looked disappointed.

"Anytime."

"Yeah, feel free to call us whenever you want."

"We enjoyed the leaf-hexing."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hermione said, and the trio headed back up to the castle as the breeze whipped more leaves around in the wind. It left Hermione with a slightly new view of the Weasley twins- and the leaves themselves.


	2. Chapter 2

Autumn. Fall. The season of change. Changing colors, changing surroundings. His favorite part of it was the leaves, though.

Out of all of his younger siblings, only Ginny got it. He didn't know why, or how, but she did, and it drew them close, forming a special bond between brother and sister. All to be accredited to the leaves.

He had been born in November. That was in autumn. Gin wasn't, though, she was born in August.

Back when he was a little, little kid, before Percy or the twins or even Charlie, he loved the leaves. He'd make them float to him on the breeze- it was his first sign of magic. He had at least three hundred leaves pressed between the pages of some of his books.

The leaves symbolized change. Once green, they became brilliant golds, reds, browns and oranges. He thought it was safe to say he'd had quite a lot of change in his life. His leaves represented that- every day something important happened, he'd take a leaf from that place. He knew what every leaf meant- from his first magic, to the day each of his siblings came home (two leaves attached at the stems for Fred and George- he had thought it clever), his first day at Hogwarts, things like that. His wedding.

As soon as she was old enough, Ginny, too, began collecting the leaves. Bill helped her. She had been fascinated by them when she was a baby- she'd reach for every leaf that fluttered by, and had even had a mobile of leaf shapes.

Now, it was _her_ wedding, and he wanted to give her a leaf she'd never forget.

"Hey, little sister," he said, standing in the doorway to her bedroom, where she and Hermione, Luna, Fleur, and a few other girls were preparing.

"Hey, big brother," Ginny responded, turning to look at him. The others took this as a que to leave, and did so. Bill was thankful.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she sat on the edge of the bed, and he sat next to her. Then, quite suddenly, she hugged him. "I'm terrified, Bill. Absolutely terrified."

They'd had this talk at least seven times already- Ginny had no doubt she loved Harry, but marriage was, in all honesty, very intimidating. And Bill had already done it, making him the perfect person for her to go to.

"Don't be. Today's your day, Gin. You're going to shine."

"What if we're making a mistake?"

"You're not. You and Harry have been through a lot together, Ginny. You always did say you were going to marry him," he added, and she chuckled.

"Yeah, Charlie owes me a galleon after the ceremony."

Bill could tell she was still uneasy, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"It's going to be the best day," he said, rubbing her arm with his thumb, like he'd done since the day she was born.

"I need to pick a leaf," she agreed. "Today deserves a leaf."

"I have just the one in mind, if you don't mind coming with me," Bill said, standing and offering his sister a hand. He still found it hard to believe she was getting married.

"Of course." She stood too, taking his hand, and they dissapparated.

They reappeared in a clearing, autumn leaves scattering the ground and floating across the surface of a small pond that was there.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, looking around.

"The forest a few miles from Shell Cottage. I found this clearing one day while I was out. I've never shown it to anyone."

"I'm flattered," Ginny said,

"Here," he said, finding the leaf he was looking for. In actuality, it was two leaves that had merged into one, to for a sort of heart shape, in a pleasant red color. He picked it and handed it to her.

"Bill, it's perfect!" Ginny said, hugging her brother.

"I thought you'd like it," he responded. What she hadn't noticed is that he had picked another leaf, too, to mark the day he showed his sister his secret place. He'd get one for the wedding later. "And, I have this," he produced a small box and handed it to her.

She opened it to find a beautiful necklace, with a silver leaf pendant that was charmed to imitate a real leaf.

"Bill…"

"I love you, little sister," he interrupted. "I really do. Promise."

It was something they had done since forever, since when Ginny had been a baby and she was scared that Bill had too many siblings to love her, too.

She smiled at the memory as he took the necklace and helped her get it on.

"We should probably go in," Ginny said. "They'll kill me for being gone so long."

"They'll kill me first," Bill pointed out. Together, they apparated back, each with their leaves and a fond new memory. The girls were waiting to finish with Ginny, while Bill went off to threaten Harry again, but not after carefully placing his new leaf between the pages of a book.


End file.
